Circus Animal Cookies
Circus animal cookies feature bits of the nostalgic childhood treat baked into soft cookies. These colorful cookies will be a hit with animal cracker fans, kids, and kids at heart!
Is there any treat more fun than a frosted animal cracker?
Come on!
Zoo animal shaped cookies, covered in pink frosting and rainbow sprinkles?
So fun!
What if you put those playful cookies inside of a homemade cookie?
Even more fun!
And that’s exactly what my circus animal cookies are!
Ingredients
To make these you’ll need:
- Butter– Softened
- Sugar– Both brown sugar and granulated
- Egg
- Vanilla extract
- Flour– All purpose
- Baking soda– For leavening
- Salt– To balance the flavors
- Sprinkles– Any work but rainbow are classic!
- Frosted animal crackers
How to Make
These circus animal cookies come together with only 5 minutes of prep!
To make them, start by preheating the oven to 350°.
While the oven heats, mix together the butter, brown sugar and sugar in a medium mixing bowl with a hand mixer until smooth.
Once the butter and sugars are smooth, beat in the egg and vanilla extract until combined.
Then mix in the flour, baking soda and salt to form the dough.
Stir in the sprinkles, folding them into the dough with a silicone spoon.
Make a ball with 2 tablespoons worth of dough.
Put the cookie dough ball on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.
Repeat until you’ve filled the tray, spacing the dough balls about 3 inches apart so they have room to expand as they bake.
Then, break apart the animal crackers and add 2-3 bits onto each cookie, slightly pressing them into the dough.
Bake the cookies for 8 minutes or until slightly golden.
Let cool and enjoy!
Storing
Store any leftover cookies in an airtight container on the counter for up to a week or so.
Tips and Tricks
- Make sure the butter and the egg have both come to room temperature before you make the dough. Just pull them out of the fridge and let them sit on the counter for an hour or so before baking.
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl when you make the cookie dough so everything gets well incorporated.
- Use a cookie scoop to get evenly sized cookies.
- Don’t by stingy with the animal cookie bits- add as many to the cookies as you can fit!
Other Easy Cookie Recipes
Circus animal cookies are fun, easy cookie full of the favorite nostalgic treat.
Make them and enjoy!
Looking for other easy cookie recipes?
Try these:
- Three Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies
- Brownie Cookies
- Quick & Easy Trail Mix Cookies
- Cookies & Cream Pudding Cookies
If you’ve tried these CIRCUS ANIMAL COOKIES, or any other recipe on the site, let me know in the comment section how it turned out, we love hearing from our readers! You can also follow along with me on PINTEREST, FACEBOOK, and INSTAGRAM to see more amazing recipes and whatever else we’ve got going on!
Circus Animal Cookies
Ingredients
- 7 tbsp butter softened
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 egg
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 tsp rainbow sprinkles
- 6-8 frosted animal crackers
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°
- In a medium size bowl mix together the butter, brown sugar and sugar with a hand mixer until smooth.7 tbsp butter, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/4 cup sugar
- Add in the egg and vanilla extract and mix together until combined.1 egg, 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- Add flour, baking soda and salt and mix to form the dough.1 1/2 cups all purpose flour, 1/2 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp salt
- Add in the sprinkles and fold the dough with a silicone spoon.2 tsp rainbow sprinkles
- Form 2 tbsp worth of dough into a ball and place on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.
- Break apart the animal crackers and add 2-3 bits onto the cookie. Slightly pressing into the dough.6-8 frosted animal crackers
- Bake for 8 minutes or until slightly golden.
- Let cool and enjoy!
Notes
- Make sure the butter and the egg have both come to room temperature before you make the dough. Just pull them out of the fridge and let them sit on the counter for an hour or so before baking.
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl when you make the cookie dough so everything gets well incorporated.
- Use a cookie scoop to get evenly sized cookies.
- Don't by stingy with the animal cookie bits- add as many to the cookies as you can fit!
Nutrition
